Help Paying Higher Energy Bills (Scotland)

The rise in energy prices affects families who have a child with complex needs more than most. Heating and electricity bills can be more expensive if someone in your household has limited mobility and requires medical equipment such as ventilators to support them at home. These cannot be avoided, and with the increasing cost of living, they have grown more than ever before.

This guide lists different types of help available to families in Scotland. For information on help available to families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, see our Help Paying Higher Energy Bills (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) article.

Government Grants and Benefits for Energy Bills

Warm Home Discount

The Warm Home Discount is one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill.

Am I eligible?

You may be eligible if all of the following applied on 23 August 2026:

• your energy supplier is part of the scheme
• you (or your partner) get certain means-tested benefits
• your name (or your partner’s) is on the electricity bill

To check if you are eligible for the scheme click here.

Do I need to apply?

Discounts are automatically deducted from your energy bill. You do not need to apply unless:

• you’re on a low income in Scotland. Contact your energy supplier to apply.
• you live in a Park (mobile) home. Apply through Charis Grants.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme will reopen in October 2027.

Winter Heating Payment

Winter Heating Payment is a single payment of £62.00 for some people in Scotland.

Am I eligible?

You may receive a Winter Heating Payment if you qualified for one of the following benefits between 2 November and 8 November 2026:

• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit
• Income Support or Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Related Employment Support Allowance
• Support for Mortgage Interest

Find out more about eligibility.

Do I need to apply?

If you are eligible, you will automatically get a single payment of £62 regardless of weather conditions in your area.

If you think you should be entitled to a Winter Heating Payment and haven’t received one, send Social Security Scotland a request.

Pension Age Winter Heating Payment

Pension Age Winter Heating Payment is a payment of between £105.55 and £316.70 to help people of State Pension age pay their heating bills. It’s paid once a year and replaced Winter Fuel Payment for people in Scotland.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible, you must have:

• been born on, or before, 27 June 1960
• lived in Scotland on at least the last day of the qualifying week

Check if you are eligible.

Do I need to apply?

Most eligible people get the payment automatically and do not need to apply. You’ll get a letter to confirm your payment. Letters are being sent from November 2026.

Social Security Scotland will send the payment to the same account as your State Pension, or any Social Security Scotland benefits you get.

A small number of people will need to apply. Check whether you need to apply.

Child Winter Heating Assistance

The Child Winter Heating Assistance benefit is a payment of £265.50 to support families with disabled children and young people with the increased cost of heating over winter.

Am I eligible?

The child or young person must be under the age of 19 years and be in receipt of either of the following benefits:

• The highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment or Disability Living Allowance for Children.
• The enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment.
• The enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment.

Click here to see more about eligibility.

Payment will be made into the same account your qualifying benefit goes into. Click here to see more information.

Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant

The Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant can help to cover heating costs in an emergency.

To get a Crisis Grant you need to be on a low income. This does not mean you need to be on benefits.

How to apply

You can only apply through your local council. You cannot apply through the Scottish Government.

Find out more about the Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant.

Help Paying Water Bills

Water Charges Reduction Scheme

Households that receive Council Tax Reduction may also receive a reduction of up to 35% on their water and waste water charges through the Water Charges Reduction Scheme (WCRS).

Customers do not need to apply for the WCRS, your local authority will automatically apply any reduction to your charges.

If your property has been altered to meet the needs of a disabled person, you may be entitled to a Disabled Banding Reduction on your council tax. This means that you are also entitled to the Water Charges Reduction Scheme.

Please contact your local council for further information.

Help if you have Oxygen Concentrators at Home

You may be entitled to a rebate on your electricity bills if you have an oxygen concentrator installed in your home. The rebate covers the electricity used by the concentrator. When installed your supplier will tell you how you will receive your rebate and how they will monitor the amount of electricity your concentrator uses.

Visit Air Liquide or the BOC to find out more. If you use a different supplier, contact them to ask about this.

Help Paying Energy Debt

With energy prices as high as they currently are, there is a danger that families will become unable to keep up with their bills and fall into debt. If you are worried about being able to afford energy this winter, ask for advice as soon as you can from organisations like Citizen’s Advice and National Debt Line.

It is also worth contacting your energy supplier to discuss payment plans and other options. Some organisations can help you speak to your supplier such as Scope’s Disability Energy Support.

Energy Supplier Schemes

Some energy suppliers have schemes to help their customers struggling to pay their bills. Each scheme will have different eligibility requirements. Check if your supplier has a scheme for customers facing energy debt by contacting them or checking their website.

Here is a list of some schemes we know about:

• British Gas Energy Trust is open to anyone, not just British Gas customers.
• Scottish Power Hardship fund is open to Scottish Power customers who are either on certain benefits, have a low income, or have other circumstances e.g. reduced income due to illness.
• EON Next Energy Fund is open to Eon customers.
• EDF Energy Customer Support Fund is open to EDF customers.
• Octopus Energy Assist Fund is open to Octopus Energy, Affect Energy, Co-operative Energy, Ebico Living and London Power customers.
• Ovo Energy Hardship scheme is open to Ovo and Boost customers.
• Utilita Helping Hand Fund is open to Utilita customers.
• Together For Short Lives have a partnership with gas network company SGN for a free energy voucher. This is either a £99 energy voucher for your pre-payment meter or a £150 energy card to take off your energy bill. It is open to those caring for a seriously ill child in the South of England. Book a phone or online appointment with a TogetherForShortLives Energy Advisor to check eligibility and for the voucher to be processed.

The Fuel Bank Foundation

The Fuel Bank Foundation is a charity dedicated to helping people who are struggling to pay their energy bills. They provide emergency financial support and advice to people who pre-pay for fuel and have run out of credit.

Visit the Fuel Bank Foundation website for information and advice here.

WellChild offer food and fuel support to our WellChild Family Tree community members. To access this support, join the WellChild Family Tree.

Paying Energy Bills Using Your Benefits

If you are struggling, you may be able to pay your energy bills and any debt you may have, directly out of your benefit. This is also known as ‘Fuel Direct’, or ‘third party deductions’, and your energy supplier will be paid monthly. Benefits eligible for this include:

• Universal Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Pension Credit

For more information, you can visit the Government website here, and to apply contact your Jobcentre Plus, if you are in receipt of Pension Credit you must apply via your Pension Service.

Improving your Energy Efficiency

Leap Energy and Money-Saving Service

Leap offer a free service providing energy advice, support with energy switching and ways to make your home more energy efficient such as installing home insulation. They may refer you for debt advice or benefits if needed.

Direct applications for this service have closed. To receive support, you must be referred by your local food bank, Citizens Advice Bureau, health clinic, or housing officer.

Find out more about Leap here.

Energy Saving Tips

Using extra energy to care for your child with complex needs at home is unavoidable. However, there are some small changes that you can make to other parts of your home life that can help you save a bit on your bills.

There are lots of energy-saving guides available to help you do this, from organisations like the Energy Saving Trust.

Read our Energy Saving Tips guide here for more information on ways to reduce your bills.

Other Useful Resources and Information

Turn2us Benefits and Grants Search

There may be local charities and other organisations who can help you with your energy bills this winter. Visit Turn2us and search for grants here.

According to Turn2us “Millions of people are missing out on thousands of pounds.” Use their Benefits Calculator to see if you are receiving everything you are entitled to or use their website to find your local Benefits Advisor who can do a benefits check for you.

Use their Benefits Calculator here.

Find a Benefits Advisor here.

If you need extra financial support for equipment, therapies or respite check out our Grants for Families article here.

Citizens Advice Scotland

The Money Talk Team provide free money and debt advice to maximise your income. You can speak with your local advisor face-to-face, or chat online with a virtual assistant.

Visit their website to speak to the Money Talk Team here.

Priority Services Register

The Priority Services Register will allow your house to receive priority support in the unlikely event of power cuts occurring this winter. To receive support, you must contact your energy supplier and ask to be added to this register. If, for medical reasons, you are dependent on a consistent supply of energy, you can ask your supplier to give your network operator your details.

The charity Scope has an informative page about the Priority Services Register here.

In the event of a power cut to your home, call 105 to be connected to your local network operator’s emergency helpline.

The information in this article was correct at the time of publishing but may be subject to change

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